Jeremy Shockey yesterday stood up in front of his locker, stuffed a black hat over his tousled blond hair and made like he wished those harsh words in the aftermath of the Giants’ 42-30 debacle in Seattle never came tumbling out of his mouth.

About 20 hours after landing a broadside to the bow of Tom Coughlin by stating, “We got out-played and out-coached,” a contrite Shockey never actually apologized for throwing his coaching staff under the bus, but did sound as if he wanted to hop on an express train and hightail it away from the latest fire he set.

“First and foremost, I’d like to say I’m a team person, I’m very team-oriented and what I said was not a team thing to say,” Shockey said deliberately and flatly. “I do let my emotions get to me at times and that’s just the competitive nature in me. I don’t like to lose. I don’t like to lose at anything.

“I’m a very hard person on myself and everyone in this locker room is hard on themselves as well. I didn’t mean to bring any distractions, because I know it occurred. I am a team person. My competitive nature and persona got the best of me there. That’s about all I want to say about that. Next question – anything football related here?”

With that, Shockey diverted the conversation to describing the despicable way the Giants destructed in falling behind 35-0 in the second quarter and 42-3 in the third before a garbage-time fourth-quarter rally turned a massacre into something that looked deceptively more reasonable. This was a chastened Shockey, after Coughlin got through with him following the desultory flight home.

In private with Shockey, and again in the public forum of a team meeting, Coughlin expressed his displeasure with his tight end’s rip-job but would not elaborate on the discussion. “Naturally, I’m concerned,” Coughlin said. “There’s nothing to be gained by pointing the finger.”

When reminded that Tiki Barber first invoked the “we got out-coached” theme following last season’s 23-0 playoff loss to the Panthers, Coughlin said, “I am surprised. It’s extremely disappointing. [It’s] Not done, what can I tell you?”

Actually, it has been done around these Giants, who are 1-2 and, if not for a frantic comeback in Philadelphia, would be 0-3 heading into their bye week. For the latest crisis around these parts, a “That’s Shockey” mantra filled the locker room.

“Jeremy said what Jeremy wanted to say,” Michael Strahan said.

“I just thought that’s Jeremy being upset,” said Amani Toomer. “I don’t think there’s truth to any of those things. The only thing I thought we did was get out-played.”

The only dissenting voice belonged to Eli Manning, who adopted a leadership stance by coming down hard on Shockey.

“I think we know that’s not the case, that’s not true,” Manning said. “We got out-played, but it wasn’t coaching. Everything they did we’ve seen, we were prepared for. I think he’s just emotional after a game and I think he knows he made a mistake. You don’t want something like that to affect the season right now.

“We don’t need anything to affect the chemistry of this team and the coaches and get everybody on a bad page or a bad note with each other. He’s been talked to about it. You don’t want to keep piling on. If it comes up I’ll talk to him and we’ll see what happens.”

Added O’Hara, “I talked to him and I think he regrets saying what he said in the manner that he said it.”

Perhaps Shockey did the Giants a favor, taking the focus off their miserable play. “I’ve never been part of a game like that,” Shockey said. “We just kind of keep digging ourselves in a hole and eventually we’re gonna be in a coffin, it’s hard to get out.”